This all changed with the loss of Kobi, my fellow nominee.
How can I turn the tide and overcome the sea of overwhelming sadness at the propsect of participating in the Olympic Torch Relay without Kobi.
How can I turn it into a an experience where I feel immense happiness, pride and delight at carrying such a precious item and being part of such a symbolic event? How am I going to feel the fire burning in my belly as the fire in my hand glows, the Olympic Flame moving closer to its destination in the Olympic Stadium and the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.....
Dreams propel us into action, they give us a purpose and they give us hope. Create a dream, build a dream and live the dream...
How can I turn it into a an experience where I feel immense happiness, pride and delight at carrying such a precious item and being part of such a symbolic event? How am I going to feel the fire burning in my belly as the fire in my hand glows, the Olympic Flame moving closer to its destination in the Olympic Stadium and the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.....
Dreams propel us into action, they give us a purpose and they give us hope. Create a dream, build a dream and live the dream...
I have been dreaming a very special dream for some time, many hours of thought has gone into it. Tears, anger and frustration every time I heard a story involving children or dogs suffering through abuse or neglect. Children and dogs never knowing what it feels like to be loved and to love in return. Years of pain and wishing that I could make a difference. "I dreamed a dream of life one day....."
A few years ago I created a X100 Run, which was the start of the dream. The original intention was to raise money for charity by forcing myself to do things that I found very hard. I achieved my own challenge of the X100 Run, but I never asked for any money for charity. I did not fulfil nor live the full dream.
I have never run an individual race for charity. I did not want to just race a few pounds and merely pay lip service to it. But I have always wanted to choose a charity and raise a huge amount of money to help others.
I have held off until now for several reasons. I feel uncomfortable asking for money without giving something in return and I wanted to give people something big! To ask for money is very hard indeed, to trade favours is easy, but asking for people's hard earned cash is another matter entirely. Plus I needed something symbolic to kick start the campaign.
A few years ago I created a X100 Run, which was the start of the dream. The original intention was to raise money for charity by forcing myself to do things that I found very hard. I achieved my own challenge of the X100 Run, but I never asked for any money for charity. I did not fulfil nor live the full dream.
I have never run an individual race for charity. I did not want to just race a few pounds and merely pay lip service to it. But I have always wanted to choose a charity and raise a huge amount of money to help others.
I have held off until now for several reasons. I feel uncomfortable asking for money without giving something in return and I wanted to give people something big! To ask for money is very hard indeed, to trade favours is easy, but asking for people's hard earned cash is another matter entirely. Plus I needed something symbolic to kick start the campaign.
I have recently become very aware of the huge number of people that read this blog. If every person that had ever read this blog was to donate one pound to charity, I would be able save the life of a huge number of children and dogs. It is that simple. One pound can make a difference. Add together all those pounds, or dollars, Euros etc and they quite literally make many thousands!
But, I am not simply planning on running one race for charity, I want it to go much further than that and to involve other people, many of them with their dogs....
- Doggie JOGLE took a back seat recently, due to a variety of reasons. It remains firmly in my mind and in my plans. And I love the fact that many people can be involved in this challenge.
- With Kez and Kroi I want to run a one mile distance as fast as my legs will run. It will be fast, possibly faster than most people are guessing....
- In 2012 I will run my last ever 100k race on tarmac. It will be one of the hardest races I will ever run...
- I want to run a course record on a very special course that I hold true to my heart. A famous trail with huge historical significance. I want to run a time that will stand for some time...
- I want to show that pet dogs trained on love and respect can make the most awesome “racing” partners....
- There are others, but for now I just want to set the scene...
I want to raise a huge amount of money for charity.... Money that will make a difference to the lives of others. I want this money to be raised in Kobi's memory. A very special dog that should be remembered for his attitude and his determination to succeed in all that life threw at him. My time with Kobi taught me a lot and it is only fair that I share.
I want to set up some sort of fund/ charity in commemoration of Kobi.
Kobi's Legacy sounds like a good name. I want any money raised to be shared with children in need and with dogs in need.
Kobi suffered immensely before he was rescued, I want to stop suffering like his. I alone cannot do this and it will take time, effort and education before it will stop. Together we can make a difference.
Kobi was fearful of adult humans, yet he did not fear young children. Children were not a threat. Children understood his body language, shyness and fear. Kobi in return could read their body language, understand and connect with them. Adults sometimes forget the simple things in life, the basic subtleness of the human body as it tries to communicate with other fellow human beings. Adults can be intimidating with their forceful words and actions. Many have forgotten how to interpret behaviour of another being or creature and adapt accordingly. They do not realise the affect that their behaviour is having on the other being. Children and dogs understand, they follow their instincts...
I will never forget Christmas in Scotland, 2010. I watched my young nephew communicate with a petrified dog in a way no other person could. He reacted to Kobi's fears in such a subtle way that no one else noticed. He gave Kobi exactly what he needed at that moment in time and for that I am eternally grateful. I will never forget. No words were ever spoken between child and dog, just reassuring gestures based upon an unspoken understanding from a child. I watched and I learned...
We returned from Scotland with a dog that was prepared to try and understand me, and I him.....
I will continue with my plans and with my intentions to make a difference. More work is required as this is one project that I intend to fully plan and to succeed. If you can offer any help or advice on how to sort out the money side of things, I would be extremely grateful. I can dream, I can run and I can get the best from dogs, but I am rubbish at asking for help and anything financially related! The best email is huskies@art-gecko.com
In the meantime, the planning and dreaming continues, but the sea may well have turned. Today, for the first time in over a month, as I thought of fire in my hand, I felt fire in my belly at the same time....
